Innocence Lost
by Flutterby Ashes
Summary: Seven years have passed since the last time Link visited Lon Lon Ranch. Malon's life has changed drastically since the Dark Lord came to power. Link is on his quest from the Goddesses and is none too pleased about it. Chapter 4 up!
1. Prelude

Hello friends! This is my first attempt at writing a Zelda fanfiction, and it is looking like it will be pretty lengthy, so be prepared! Some chapters may stall because I may need to play that part of the game again to remember specifics.  I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading.

Warnings: Death, angst, hatin' on Ganondorf. 

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**Innocence Lost**

FlutterByAshes

_Prelude_

Malon sighed and dusted her hands off on her apron, knowing that the fabric would do little good at cleaning her filthy hands. Looking out across the corral, she watched the setting sun, and felt a familiarly disconcerting feeling bubbling in her chest and throat. The last time he had been here, the sun had been setting. He had teased her, she remembered, because he said the reddish light made her look like she was on fire. She had teased back, of course, but she couldn't remember with what. She just remembered the look of him as he walked away. They had both thought…well, maybe just she had thought, that he would be back near the end of the week, as usual. But that week turned into weeks, then months, and years. And now, seven years later her heart still ached every time she saw the sunset.

He had disappeared the very night that Ganondorf had come to power.

He never came back. She knew that he was on some sort of quest; he never told her the details, telling her that it would only hurt her in the end. Her mind told her that he must have been one of the Evil King's first victims, but her heart would not accept that idea. They were so close; surely she would feel something different if he was indeed dead. When her mother had passed, she had been too young to know what had happened, but when her father…

She angrily brushed an errant tear from her cheek. Ganondorf had ruined so many lives, most much more important than her own. He had come to the ranch not two days after that terrible night, the night when Death Mountain erupted into flames and the Market and Castle Town were burnt to the ground. That night, when the dark haze had settled over all of Hyrule, and he had disappeared out of her life...

The Evil King had demanded that the ranch provide him a horse. Her father had denied him the mare he sought, and thereby provoked his terrible wrath. Their farmhouse had been burned to the ground. Malon herself had barely gotten outside before it collapsed, and her father had been right behind her. The Evil King was still displeased, and Malon remembered screaming for her father as Ganondorf hauled him out of the ranch, and told Ingo that it was now his to manage.

Ingo had always seemed a bit odd and distant to her, and to him too, she remembered. But after that night, after Ganondorf left, Ingo's eyes had turned dark and he was not himself. He ruled the ranch as if he himself were a king, working Malon to the brink of exhaustion. He would occasionally burst into unprovoked fits of rage, during which he would often beat the horses, and rarely Malon herself. They never had any help stay for long, as any of the young and eager ranch hands that attempted to work for Ingo left as soon as they could. Worse than that, he forbade Malon to leave the ranch or find any information about her father's well being.

That would last for a few weeks, sometimes as long as a month. Then, without warning, Ingo's eyes would roll back as he lost consciousness and crumpled to the ground, no matter what task he was doing. She remembered one time when he had been a top a house and was nearly trampled to death. Every time, he would wake up, disoriented and confused, and with no knowledge of what had transpired since the last time he had lost consciousness. Malon never had the heart to explain what he had done in those lost weeks, because as time went on, she learned that he was quite kind, but had grown up with many hardships that had given him his gruff exterior.

When Ingo woke up, time at the ranch seemed to stand still. Not much work was done, as he was weak and full of questions. He wanted to know how she'd grown up so quickly, where Talon was, and why that little boy with the funny green cap never came to help anymore. Malon relished these days, as she let herself live in the fantasy world she would create for Ingo, where Link was at the market selling their milk for them and her father was off making deliveries to the farther reaches of Hyrule.

It never lasted for more than a few days. Ganondorf would realize that his power over the ranch was faltering, and it never failed that he would return to the ranch in a blaze of fury, demanding horses and cows and cuccos, taking what he wanted and paying for nothing. Always, when he left, he cast that evil spell on Ingo, and Malon would sink into misery once more.

The sun dipped behind the horizon and Malon sighed.

Ingo had gone to Kakariko to make the deliveries, which always made Malon slightly nervous. She was afraid that he would lose consciousness, and that Ganondorf would come to the ranch only to find him missing, and no one to take his anger out on but a little farm girl.

She didn't dare leave the ranch. Ganondorf had let her, once, nearly a year ago. He came to recast the spell on Ingo, but instead of demanding horses, he demanded she go to Kakariko to make the deliveries. Her young mind hadn't considered that the Evil King was setting her up for something sinister, and she immediately began packing the cart and preparing for her departure. He followed her the entire way, making sure she didn't stray off the path. As she reached the entrance to the village, he told her that he would wait at the ranch for her return, and if she was not back by noontime the next day that the horses would suffer. He handed her a paper, the delivery sheet, and retreated into the oncoming twilight for the ranch.

She unfolded the parchment and was surprised to see only one name - Talon Romani. A mixture of excitement and fear raced through her veins, and she couldn't think or speak due to the lump that had formed in her throat. She allowed herself to believe that Ganondorf had been merciful, that after six years she was going to get to see her father, if only for a short time. She raced toward the inn and found the door labeled 13. She knocked and waited; there was no reply. She pressed her ear to the door to see if she could hear anything, but couldn't. The covers were drawn over the windows and there was no sign of light inside. Night was falling around Kakariko, so she grabbed the lantern from the cart and lit it. She knocked again, and received no response. She tried the door handle, and to her surprise, it was unlocked.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she slowly pushed the door open. Anxiousness and fear caused her hands to shake. The room was dark, and she held up her lantern. 'Father?' she had called into the darkness, as the lantern cast menacing shadows on the walls. She took a step inside the door, and he eyes caught sight of a person lying on the floor. She rushed forward to see who it was and if they were alright. Her blood ran cold and he heart seemed to stop as she took in the form of her father, lying face down on the floor with a pool of blood dried around him.

Once again, she angrily brushed tears from her face. She was dwelling too much, and there was no sense in living in the past. She missed her father dearly, and constantly wished that he was still alive but there was no gain from it. She had learned to block out those thoughts as best as she could and spent many days going through the motions of her routine, focusing on her tasks and not letting her mind wander. But today, since she was nearly finished with her work and had no one to keep her in check, she was finding it difficult to keep the past at bay. A mare nuzzled her shoulder, whinnying softly and bringing her back to reality.

Epona was the last to be moved into the stables, as always. The mare followed her out of the corral, without the need for any lead or direction. Epona was her horse, through and through. She was thankful that Ganondorf had never tried to take her away. Fortunately he always seemed more interested in the larger stallions.

A sudden whinny from said mare startled Malon, and she feared that bandits or Poes had made it into the ranch. She knew that she could not fight them off alone. But a low rumbling alerted her that something bigger was happening. Quickly, she ran into the barn and climbed the narrow ladder to the loft, and then out on to the roof of the barn. What she saw took her breath away. Death Mountain was burning, that wasn't out of the ordinary, but the fire spewed forth into the sky.

"It's erupting!" she whispered, not believing it herself. The rumbling intensified, and she worried for all those who were much closer to the mountain than herself. The fire exploded then, painting the dark night sky a blood red. Then, nearly as suddenly as it had begun, the fires stopped altogether, and all of Hyrule was dark.

Malon didn't move from the roof for quite some time. Something important must have just happened. The volcano had only started burning like that on that night, so many years ago. She wouldn't let herself think that maybe it had just been a random occurrence; no. The fire from Death Mountain showed that Ganondorf was in control and that it was his domain. If the fire was gone, then Ganondorf must be gone from the mountain as well.

But how? The question wheeled itself around in her mind, spinning until it consumed all of her thoughts. Had the Goddesses finally come to Hyrule's aid? Maybe it was something less divine…perhaps the Gorons had finally managed to take back their homes from the Evil King. Or maybe Link…

The squeaking of wheels in the distance pulled her from her thoughts, and she vaguely made out the flickering of a lantern in the distance. Ingo was on his way back. She climbed back down to the ground and lead Epona into her stall. She put a forest green blanket over the mare's back and stroked her muzzle lovingly before heading back into the house to make supper.

As she prepared the meal of cucco stew and fresh vegetables, she allowed her thoughts to drift once again. There was an unfamiliar feeling bubbling in her chest, and the more she struggled to figure out what it was, the more positive she became that Link had to be involved The fires started burning the night that he left; maybe he had come back so now the fires were out? No, it all sounded so foolish in her head. She heard the creak of the main gate and the hoof beats of Ingo's mare, Carrillo, just as she was setting the table. Satisfied that there wouldn't be a single thing that could provoke Ingo, she served the food and poured two glasses of milk for them.

The farmhouse door opened as Malon was checking the spells in the icebox to make sure their food was kept frozen. "How was your trip?" she asked, as she stood and moved toward the table. Ingo shrugged and began eating. "It's a good thing that you got away from Kakariko before the volcano exploded," she said idly, trying to find out if he had seen anything while he was in town. Usually when he came back he loved to talk to her about everything he saw outside of the ranch. He did so to make her feel like she was missing something, but it always had the opposite effect. If she was going to be held prisoner in her own home then it made perfect sense to her to try and live through someone else's stories.

But tonight Ingo was being odd. Malon didn't fully understand the spell that he was under, and wondered how much of a connection he had to Ganondorf. Maybe Ingo was distracted because Ganondorf was distracted, and maybe Ganondorf was distracted because Link had come back and kicked his power out of the mountain. Ingo coughed, having swallowed a bit of broth the wrong way, and Malon came out of her thoughts again, realizing that he still had not answered her query.

"Are you feeling all right?" she asked. She was beginning to be concerned about his obvious silence. It wasn't like him at all. He looked up at her, and she caught a glimpse of his eyes and saw that they were still black. "It didn't look like the fire went anywhere except the sky," he said, with a tinge of disbelief in his voice. "It all went into the sky. Every drop of lava, every flame. Not one bit of it hit the town." With that, he went back to his meal, seemingly content with ignoring Malon entirely. She began to feel uneasy.

The rest of the meal was uneventful. Ingo did not talk again, and Malon did not prod him to. In a stiff silence, Malon took the dishes to the kitchen and washed and dried them before placing them back into the cupboards. She lifted the bucket of dirty water and carried it outside, where she emptied it and refilled it with fresh water from their rain barrel. Outside, there was another uncomfortable silence, as if all of Hyrule were holding its breath. Not even the farm animals were making a sound. Her anxiety increased, and she rushed back into the house.

Ingo was situated in the living room, and after starting a fire was sitting in the armchair and reading. She deposited the water bucket in the kitchen and put out the lanterns before returning to the living room to read as well. While she was looking at the large bookcase, trying to find something she hadn't read yet, she heard a soft _thud_, and turned to see Ingo slumped to the floor in front of the chair.

'Oh no,' she murmured, rushing to him to see if he was alright. It was too early for this to happen again. Ganondorf had just recast the spell not two weeks prior. Ingo was blinking bleary green eyes at her and looking horribly confused. She cursed under her breath, and helped him back into the chair.

"What happened?" he asked. "Why am I down here?"

She faked a smile. "You fell asleep while reading. You've been sick for a while though. Are you feeling any better?"

He groaned and shook his head. "I'll get you some tea. Just sit tight," she said, leaving the room.

Once in the relative safety of the kitchen, millions of thoughts started racing their way through her head as she set about preparing tea. If this had happened any other night, then she would be fine with vanishing into her fantasy land until Ganondorf showed up wanting more horses and casting spells. But for this to happen tonight, when the fires from the volcano had mysteriously gone out…Malon shuddered. As far as she was concerned, there was no denying it any longer. Ganondorf's influence had been removed from the volcano. His attention must have been directed elsewhere; that was why Ingo had been so distant and why the spell had been cut so short.

Fear leapt in her throat. If Ganondorf were to show up at the ranch within the next few days, he was sure to be furious. Ingo was how he kept control over the ranch, and she knew that he wouldn't let two areas of Hyrule slip out of his control as long as he could help it. The kettle whistled from on top of the kitchen fire, snapping her out of her thoughts. As she poured the hot water into the teacup, she realized that she was shaking and tried to calm herself. She couldn't keep this story up to Ingo if he saw how upset she was. She added a few cubes of sugar and a splash of milk into the cup, and, after taking several deep breaths, returned to the living room.

Ingo was still sitting in the chair, his eyes focused on the fire and seemingly lost in thought. She cleared her throat to get his attention and handed him the tea. For some time, they both just sat in a heavy silence, both too wrapped up in their own thoughts to attempt polite conversation. Finally, Ingo set the teacup down on a nearby table and settled his eyes on Malon.

"It seems like I've been sick for years. Never remembering more than a few days at a time. Don't you think that's odd? If I've been that sick for this long I should be dead," Ingo mused.

Malon looked up and forced another smile. "Well, it just looks like you're a lucky one. Must be all that milk you drink," she attempted to joke. Ingo shook his head.

"Why don't you tell me what's really been going on these past seven years."

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A/N: Well, that's it for chapter one! I hope you all enjoyed it. Please read and review! Constructive criticisms and typo corrections are always appreciated, but flamers are ignored, so please, don't feel the need to write a review along the lines of, "OMG I hate Malon! You should be talking about Zelda!!!1!!" Thanks!


	2. Alone

A/N: As promised, here is chapter two! Standard disclaimers apply, and thank you to the reviewers! As a side note, this story will never have to deal with rape, so, don't be worried about that. I can't do that to poor 'lil Malon. LoZ and all the characters belong to Nintendo, as usual.

Warnings: None really, this chapter. Just a good deal of angst and a lot of introspection.

**Innocence Lost**

**Chapter 2**

_Alone_

Two young children, a boy and a girl, lounged in the grass in the middle of the corral at Lon Lon ranch. The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, painting the sky with oranges and pinks, leaving the two figures captivated by the simple beauties held by nature.

'It's time to go…'

A short time later, the two children were facing each other, saying their farewell's until the time when they would play again. The girl's back was to the sun, and the red light illuminated her from behind, leaving an image in the boy's mind that he would never forget.

'You look like you're on fire…'

A quick hug and he turned to leave, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, knowing that he had a destiny to fulfill. He had wanted to tell her the truth. She was his best friend; she cared for him when no one else did. She deserved to know that he might not come back.

He turned back toward her, and the sight that greeted him shocked him to the core. The ranch was on fire, huge, swirling flames that consumed everything in his sight with thick smoke that choked him. She was caught in the middle, her eyes full of fear, and her innocent heart not knowing what to do. He tried to get to her, but was stopped by her father, with a blade impaled in his chest, blood flowing freely from the wound.

'You have to save her…'

The man's haunting voice echoed in his ears as he pushed past the bloodied body in an attempt to get closer to her. The ranch hand got to her first, and the boy felt some relief, believing that surely he would help her. His relief quickly turned to shock as he watched the man lift his hand and slap the girl across her face, sending her tumbling backward toward the flames. The boy struggled to get closer, but the smoke choked him and made it difficult for him to move close to her.

'Please, don't let him hurt me!'

Her terrified voice echoed in his ears and he redoubled his efforts to get to her. The ranch hand sneered at him, and there was no mistaking the evil look in his eyes. A flash of light, and the man was replaced by The King of Evil, steel glinting from the blade in his hand, his ominous laughter ringing in the boy's ears. Finally the smoke cleared and the flames dispersed, and now that evil man was the only thing separating him from the girl. He ran then, but saw the steel surge forward, situating itself in the girl's chest.

An anguished scream reached his ears and when attempted to reach for his own sword he saw his hands were stained with blood.

Link started awake, the last images from his nightmare whirling around in his thoughts. Rubbing his head, he allowed his eyes to get used to the dark in the tiny room at the inn that Sheik had purchased for him. There wasn't much to it, but it was still more than Link had ever had before. The bed was warm and comfortable, but it wasn't enough to chase away the visions that he continually had. He'd only met a few people in his life, and he was afraid that they were all in trouble and suffering, all because of him.

If only he had known that he was too small. He would have waited seven years, trained and made sure that those that he truly cared about were protected and safe from Ganondorf. But he and Zelda had been fools, and now all of Hyrule was in danger, all because of him. The young man wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to ward off the cold that was slowly seeping into his bones. It was funny, he realized, how he had spent the last few days traipsing around an active volcano, sweating and cursing the heat, and now, only hours after his departure, he was cold to his bones.

Glancing to his right, he saw that his ever present fairy was sleeping peacefully. He knew he was tired, but nights like this, when _that_ dream plagued his mind, he knew he would not sleep again. He decided against waking Navi and relocated to the window seat on the far end of the room. The moon had barely risen halfway through the sky, and Link knew that it couldn't be long past midnight. His thoughts strayed to the events that had happened in the past two months. Had it only been two months?

Two months ago he was a ten year old boy. He remembered it clearly. He remembered what really happened when he had left Lon Lon ranch. He hadn't turned back to tell her the truth. Idly, he wondered what she must think of him now. 'No', he scolded himself lightly, 'don't think about that.'

He didn't remember anything about being asleep in the Sacred Realm. Rauru had told him that it was better that he didn't remember sitting in nothingness for seven years, as it probably would have driven him insane, and Link had to agree. But in his mind, he was still a young boy, and it had been difficult to learn how to behave and what to do. Sheik had offered him a gift of knowledge, telling the Hylian that, if Link would let him, he would impart knowledge that Link should have at his new age. Link had accepted, and Sheik had put him into a trance. When he'd come out of it, Link knew all about the horrors of war, he had seen so much of the death and destruction that had occurred in his absence. For a few days, he was so shell-shocked that he dare not leave the room Sheik had supplied for him, but he had eventually mustered up the strength to go into the graveyard, as Sheik had told him to do.

Shortly following his reunion with Dampe, he had seen it. A tombstone bearing the name of the closest thing to a father Link had ever known: _Talon Romani, Respected citizen of Kakariko Village, Passed August 16th, and year 576_. Link let his thoughts drift back to that discovery. Why hadn't the tombstone read that he was from the ranch? Link knew the man had lived there his whole life, and he couldn't understand why he was only remembered as a citizen of Kakariko. The image of the man, stabbed and bleeding from his dream came to mind, and Link shuddered. Had a man as good-natured as Talon been murdered so violently?

He thought about Malon, wondered if she was all right. She had such an innocent spirit, in fact, that was one of the things Link liked most in her. The ranch was all she knew; she knew nothing of suffering and pain, aside from the untimely death of her mother. That's why he hadn't told her. How could he? How could he tell someone like her that, someday soon, her world would collapse beneath her? He never could have; he never could have bore the look he knew would be in her eyes, the look he always saw in those dark blue pools in his dreams. He wondered if she bore that look now. Most importantly, he wondered if she was still alive.

No, she had to be alive; there was nothing for him to wonder about. He would know if she were dead. They had been so close. He would be able to feel that a piece of him was missing somehow. He just wanted to _know_.

He had been back for over two months now, and he still had not yet had an opportunity to travel to the ranch and see how she was. As soon as Sheik knew he had retrieved the hookshot, he had been pushed off into the Lost Woods to free the sage of the Forest Temple. It had relieved him greatly to see Saria and know that she would be okay in the Sacred Realm. He was also glad to know that a good friend would be providing him with advice and strength throughout the rest of his journey.

His labors in the forest completed, he had attempted to go to the ranch again, but Sheik had come and told him that he was direly needed on Death Mountain. The young hero had wanted to refuse, but Sheik had told him that he only had a month's time before the volcano would erupt, and if the fire dragon was still inside, it would completely devastate both the mountain and Kakariko Village.

It had taken him the full month to free the Fire Temple from its curse, mostly because there were so many imprisoned Gorons that he wanted to make absolutely certain were out of harm's way in case he failed at defeating the dragon.

But now, Sheik had told him that he could rest for a while, perhaps a week or so, and then that he should head to Zora's Fountain, because Ganondorf had frozen it over and it was surely in need of a hero. However, war or no, this week was his, and he was going to make it worthwhile. In the morning, as soon as the sun breached the horizon, he was going to visit Malon. He would love to leave right now, but he knew that he wouldn't make it half way across the field. Hyrule field was running rampant with Poes, and the spirits of hatred did not mind killing anyone that came across their path. No, it would do no good to only return to Malon dead or dying.

He wondered what she looked like now, grown up. He couldn't imagine her being anything but beautiful. Even as a young girl, he had thought she was pretty, even prettier than the princess, although he didn't dare admit it to himself. He'd had a small crush on her, all those years ago, and something in her eyes had made him believe that she felt the same way.

He shuddered as the image of her eyes from his dream passed in front of his minds eye and he willed that image away.

She had beautiful eyes, he remembered. A much darker shade of blue than his own, but they were so deep that they pulled you in and held you captive. He could always tell what she was thinking by looking into her eyes. He knew when she was worried or happy or frightened…

The image from his dream flashed before his eyes again. He wanted to believe that Malon was okay, that somehow Ganondorf's evil hadn't tarnished her innocence, that his dream was merely that, and nothing more, but since learning of Talon's death and knowing that the same thing had been painted by his mind's eye, he wasn't so sure anymore.

If something had happened to her, or to Zelda, it would be his fault. It was his fault right now that there was so much suffering in the lands of Hyrule, his fault that thousand lay dead at Ganondorf's hand and still more were dying or would certainly die soon. Link sighed, his heart heavy. If only he had been stronger…

'Please, Goddesses, please let her be alright. Let everyone be alright.'

Link rested his head on the window pane and sighed once again, feeling more restless than he had in a long time. The day had been rough and tiring, and the fight against Volvagia had taken a lot out of him, but that wasn't anything a red potion hadn't fixed. Still, he knew he should sleep, but the way his mind was wandering, he knew he couldn't.

It was nights like this, when the weight of the world felt like it was crashing down on his shoulders, just like the night he last saw her, he wished that the goddesses hadn't chosen him to be the hero. More than anything, he wanted to be a normal person, with a family and people surrounding him that loved him. No one had ever asked him if he wanted to be a hero.

But the fact of the matter was that he had been chosen to bear the triforce of courage, and he had accepted his destiny a long time ago. No matter what the cost, he would do what the goddesses had asked of him, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

"You should be resting," a sleepy, but still far too chipper for his tastes, voice piped up. Navi rose from the pillow that she had been occupying and fluttered over to the window, where she landed on Link's shoulder and settled down.

Link sighed. 'I know,' he said softly. Navi noticed the sad look in his eyes and felt the sympathy for the boy that she always had since they had become partners. He was so young to have to carry the fate of all of Hyrule. It was a burden no one should have to bear, much less a ten year old child. But he was so very brave and would do anything to protect his homeland, and Navi admired that in him. She would always wish that he didn't have to fight, but she would do her best to help him along the way, to keep him from feeling so alone on the road.

"I think tomorrow we should go to Lon Lon Ranch," he said quietly. "I want to make sure that they're okay over there, especially since Talon's passing." His voice shook slightly with the worry he held for Malon, but Navi pretended not to notice it. She knew how much he had wanted to check on her, to make sure that she was okay, that she was even alive, and she was nervous that now they would find out for sure what had happened to her over the past seven years. "Ok. We'll go to the ranch!" she said, trying to be a cheery as possible.

She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck in the best hug she could muster, and Link smiled softly at the gesture. For a while, they sat there in silence. Navi eventually posed a question that had been lingering in her mind since before Link had ever even been to the castle, something she'd wondered since he had first met the ranch girl.

"Do you love her?"

The question hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. Link's eyes never left the night sky as he weighed the question in his head. He knew he loved her, but he just didn't know how. He loved Saria and Princess Zelda too, but something about Malon was different. He wanted to protect her from the evil in the world, and he was so terrified that he might not find her at the ranch tomorrow that he felt his heart might burst. His gaze shifted to the garden situated outside of the window as he answered.

"Yes, I do."

Well, there it is! It's not the best chapter ever, but I'm trying to get Link in character for this particular story. Thank you all for reading, and, as always, I love reviews, so make me happy!


	3. Storms

A/N: Hello friends! Sorry I have taken so long to get the ball rolling again on this story. This chapter is pretty lengthy; I kept trying to find a good place to split it but I really couldn't find a break that I thought was acceptable. Hopefully you all will enjoy! I own nothing but my humble obsession for the Zelda series, so don't sue me. :) Thanks to all of the reviews! I really appreciate your input.

Warnings: Angst, depressive introspection, some violence.

**Innocence Lost**

**Chapter 3**

_Storms_

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Malon sighed and rolled over in her bed once again to try and get comfortable. Too much had happened this evening for her to be able to sleep. Now that the volcano wasn't burning, the night was exceptionally dark. She didn't fancy herself to be a scared little girl, but the unnatural stillness of the air coupled with the pressing darkness made her so uneasy that she had left the lantern on her nightstand burning. The conversation with Ingo had stirred up a lot of unpleasant memories and her mind was in overdrive, still reeling from it all.

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

"Why don't you tell me what's really been going on these past seven years," Ingo asked, his eyes intently watching her.

"W-what do you mean? I've told you what's happened. You've been sick," she said, caught completely off guard. She knew he didn't believe her. She didn't even believe herself, the way she was talking. He didn't say anything, but his gaze never faltered. He wanted the truth, and she couldn't blame him. He was missing huge chunks of his life and she was the one keeping it from him. She sighed heavily, and resigned herself to explaining the harsh reality of their situation.

"You've been under a spell, Ingo. On and off for the last seven years," she said quietly.

"A spell? From whom?" he was surprised by her confession, and she felt a wave of guilt about not telling him these things sooner, but she wondered if he would have even remembered if she had tried.

"Ganondorf," she said, and Ingo outright laughed.

"You mean that half-mad man from the desert? The one who works for the king and complains all the time? What in the world would he be doing casting a spell on _me_ for?" Malon winced. There was so much that Ingo just did not know at all, and now she would have to tell him about it.

"The king is dead," Malon said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ganondorf killed him and took control seven years ago." Ingo's smile faded, and Malon continued. "He wanted us to provide him and his army with horses, but Papa refused. He lit the house on fire and stole a few stallions. Then he took Papa away." Tears began to form in her eyes. "When he was leaving, he told you that the ranch was yours to keep in order for him, and then there was light, everywhere. You weren't yourself. Your eyes were black. That's how I always knew when he was controlling you." She glanced up at Ingo, and saw him looking slightly distraught, but she continued anyway, long into the night, telling him about all of the things that had happened and how much Hyrule had suffered. She did not mention the death of her father. Ever since she had found him she hadn't said those words out loud, and she wasn't quite sure that she could. She wasn't ready to admit that he would never be coming back.

"We have to go," he said, his voice impassioned after learning the truth, "We have to go to Kakariko and get your father and get out of this place as soon as we can. We'll leave in the morning and…"

"We can't," she interrupted. "He'll be back, he'll want to cast the spell on you again and when he sees that we're not here there will be nowhere to hide. He'll destroy everything. We'll lose everything."

"Don't be foolish!" he snapped, "It's not worth losing your life over. There are bound to be safe places in Hyrule, we just need to find one."

Anger rose in her chest and she grew uncharacteristically hostile, "This ranch IS my life, Ingo. This is everything! I'm not leaving on just some hope that there's somewhere safer out there. I can't."

Ingo looked at her, quietly weighing his options. "I can't stay here," he finally said, "I can't keep missing out on my own life because some psychotic man wants control of the ranch. He can hunt me down and kill me if he wants, but I will not sit here and wait for him to come back and curse me again." Malon realized that her cheeks were wet with tears. Ingo couldn't leave her here alone, could he? He rose from the chair and headed upstairs. "I'll be leaving by mid-day tomorrow. I'm sorry, Malon," he said, looking over his shoulder.

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

What would Ganondorf do if he left, and she was the only person left on the ranch for him to express his anger to? Malon shuddered, realizing one of her biggest fears may come true very soon. Maybe she was being foolish. Maybe she should run with Ingo and get out of this place. Her thoughts drifted to the animals. They would all surely suffer the brunt of Ganondorf's rage. She didn't know if she could live with the guilt from that. She knew he would burn everything to the ground. She would lose everything she had ever known and be forced to move, probably to one of the larger towns outside of Hyrule to make sure they were kept anonymous and hidden. She didn't like the thought of being surrounded by so many people all of the time.

Her mother was here too. Her mother had passed giving birth to her, something that used to always make her feel guilty when she was younger. He father had told her that it wasn't her fault, that her mother had known what risks she was taking when bearing a child. Malon wished she had gotten the chance to know her. Her father used to tell her that she was so much like her mother, and that compliment stuck with her always and made her feel proud.

Out of nowhere, she had the sudden realization that she was an orphan, and that she had no family anywhere hiding out in Hyrule. No grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins. The weight hit her like a ton of bricks, and she found it difficult to breath. This ranch, this was all she had. She could never leave on her own free will. Through her tears, she vowed this to herself, and once she was exhausted from her crying spell, she drifted off into an unpleasant sleep.

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

"Hey! Link! Wake up, sleepy head!" Navi continued pulling pieces of his hair in an attempt to get his attention. The young man had fallen asleep sometime in the night, but clearly he had still been plagued with nightmares. Navi was eerily reminded of the morning that they met, when she had struggled so much to rouse the boy. She hoped this day would not be as traumatic for the boy as that one had been. "Link!" she shouted, tugging at his hair once more, successfully pulling out a few strands. His eyes shot open, and, caught off balance, he tumbled out of the window seat and on to the floor below. He instantly reached for his sword, but upon not finding it, he looked to Navi.

The fairy was barely containing giggles. "I'm so sorry, Link!" He shot her a slight glare. "I just didn't want you to sleep too late, and sometimes you can sleep like a rock!" She was outright laughing at his befuddled expression now, and the light, tinkling sound provided him with a comfort he had not felt in a while. Eventually, he smiled too, and stood to great the day.

He was undeniably sore. Wielding the Megaton Hammer all day certainly had its drawbacks, he mused. He was dressed in a dark grey tunic, trying his best to follow Shiek's advice of "not looking too Kokiri" and drawing attention to himself while he was out and about in the village. He set about packing his bag for the day. Inside, he carefully placed the Master Sword where he could easily grab it if needed but could still keep the identity of the mystical weapon hidden. He packed some food and other clothes and boots, trying to make it look like he was just a common traveler. Lastly, he grabbed a few red and green potions, just in case. The sun was making its way up into the sky by the time he completed these tasks.

Navi slid down into a convenient pocket on the front of his tunic for the journey. On foot, it would probably take him four hours to make it to the ranch. Satisfied that he had packed everything he could need for the day, he took a deep breath and paused to collect his thoughts. Closing his eyes, he prayed to the Goddesses that Malon was alive and safe. He hadn't thought of what he would do if he got to the ranch and she was not there.

Navi peered up at him from her hiding place, looking concerned. She was afraid that the quest would fail if Link let his emotions get to him. If he lost hope, then all of Hyrule would too.

"Nervous?" she asked.

Link sighed. "More than I have been in a while. This is scary. This is a different kind of fear, and I don't know what to do with it, Navi."

"What do you mean? How is it different?" she inquired.

"It's not the same as the fear of battle, or of Ganondorf. I just - I don't have many friends left. Saria is a sage and I probably will never see her again. Zelda is in hiding and I won't be able to find her until all of this is over. Darunia, the Great Deku Tree, Talon…they're all gone. What if I get there today and she's gone too? I'll have no one here, Navi, no one," he sighed and wrung his hands nervously. "I know I'll always have you," he said, his voice quieter this time, "and I am grateful for that. But I am afraid that I won't have anyone left in Hyrule, and it will be my fault."

Navi pulled herself to the edge of the pocket and looked at Link. "I understand. No one wants to feel like they don't have someone to come home to," she said. "But we will think about that later. Right now, we just need to get to the ranch and see. There's no since in worrying over something that maybe hasn't happened." He sighed and reached for the pack, swinging it over his shoulder. He took one last look around the room, making sure his things were concealed, and then headed toward the door.

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Malon hadn't slept for more than a few hours at best. The gentle orange glow of the rising sun had just begun to creep up on the ranch as she finally decided to get up and start the day. She dressed quickly and quietly, hoping not to wake Ingo so that maybe he would sleep too late and he wouldn't leave today. She knew it was a silly thought, but that did not keep her from hoping. As she walked outside to the stables, she noticed that the morning air was unnaturally still, cold, and damp. It sent an unsettling feeling through her bones but she tried to brush it off. She busied herself with her morning chores of milking the cows, collecting eggs from the cuccos, and moving the horses into the corral. By the time she finished, the sun was fully above the horizon, but the chill was still thick in the air, too cold for August. She returned to the house and set about making breakfast, and was more than a little dismayed to see Ingo walking sleepily down the steps. They ate in an uncomfortable silence, after which Malon retreated to the gardens as Ingo went into the stable to pack his things.

The sun was fairly high in the sky now, chasing the morning chill away and bathing Malon in warm light as she tended to the plants. They were all coming along quite nicely, she realized, and she felt a surge of pride for herself. Usually she killed at least half the plants by being too concerned with other chores, or because Link had been around. 'No,' she scolded herself. 'No, do not think about him anymore. Never again! He's not coming back. Not for you, at least.' Ingo appeared around the corner then, quietly asking if he could take some of the plants for his travels, to which Malon of course obliged. As she stood to leave the garden, he grabbed her arm gently, causing her to meet his eyes.

"You need to come with me," he said simply.

Malon smiled sadly at him and said, "You know that I can't," as she turned to leave.

"I'll get your father and bring him back here. He'll be able to talk some sense into you. He'll convince you to leave." She felt herself stiffen. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she found herself rooted to the spot in the garden. She sighed heavily, knowing that she had to tell Ingo, and knowing that he would want to know exactly where in Kakariko he was before he departed. She didn't turn to face him as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My father's dead, Ingo."

The words struck him like a blade. He stared at the ground. Talon was one of the nicest people in all of Hyrule, and surely no one knew that better than Ingo. No one else had been willing to give a sour man like him a decent job until Talon had. What had he done for the Goddesses to take his life away so suddenly? Abruptly, he remembered Malon's words from the night before.

_He took Papa away._

"Ganondorf murdered him," Ingo whispered, his voice holding a note of disbelief. A million thoughts began to race through the man's mind. Talon refused one thing, something that Ganondorf could have easily taken for himself, and the dark man's retaliation had been murder? 'I have to get out of here,' he thought to himself. As he lifted his head, his eyes focused on Malon's back, and a thought struck him hard enough that it became difficult to breathe. 'If I leave, he'll kill her.' He studied the girl in front of him. She was short and petite, and couldn't weigh more than a hundred pounds, and if he remembered that man correctly, he could probably break her in half without even flinching. And she was young. The last time he could remember anything clearly, she was nine, which made her sixteen now. 'She should be happy and free,' he thought, 'not having to manage an entire ranch by herself, not living in constant fear, not being abandoned.'

Ingo reached his decision with a finality that he hadn't thought he possessed. Moving forward, he turned the girl around to look at him, hunching over slightly so that they were face to face. She was crying, and he felt horrible for causing her to do so. With his hands on her shoulders, he said the words that he hoped he would not come to regret.

"I won't leave."

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Link blinked at the brightening sunlight as he made his way into Hyrule field. He was trying hard not to get his hopes up, but after walking for an hour and knowing that he would soon be on top of the ridge that would give him his first clear glance of Lon Lon Ranch after seven long years, he could no longer contain his carefully caged hope. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and the part of the field looked healthy and happy and free. He glanced to his right again. In the distance, he could see where the majestic Hyrule Castle once stood. Now, it was a land of storm and shadow. The darkness of that portion of the field contrasted strongly with the shining sun and green grass where he was. Over top of the darkness he could make out massive storm clouds, occasionally shooting streaks of lightening, although the low rumble of thunder never reached his ears. He idly wondered what kind of black magic Ganondorf had used on the place to make it so menacing. Secretly, he wished the noise of the thunder would come, because Navi had been talking practically non-stop since they left, and it was only slightly annoying.

His thoughts drifted to Malon again. She had always been a little on the small side for her age; he remembered making fun of her and telling her how short she was one day while he was helping her clean the stables. He wondered if she would be tall like he father was, and he secretly hoped that she would be much less round. He remembered the back-breaking work that came with living on a ranch and suddenly imagined her to be overly muscular and bulky, causing him to laugh outright at the image formed in his head.

Navi paused in mid-sentence and poked her head up from Link's pocket. "And just WHAT is so funny about those Stalfos in the Forest Temple?" Link glanced down to her face and noticed that she looked quite cross. "Nothing! Nothing. I'm sorry." The fairy narrowed her eyes. "Were you even LISTENING to me?" she half wailed. Link sighed, knowing he was in for it now. On days like this, Navi was too cheerful and talkative for her own good. In the Temples, she had been silent as a mouse, whether from fear or something else, only speaking up every now and then to offer advice and worry about Link's safety. He knew that she cherished these days, when they could talk to each other simply and not have to focus on what dangers might be lurking around each corner.

"I'm sorry. I was just imagining what Malon might look like now," he admitted. "Hopefully nothing like her father," Navi muttered bluntly, before sinking back down into Link's pocket. He laughed again, and he heard Navi giggle as well before launching into another story about the Forest before Link had arrived. Finally, he reached the zenith of the hill and climbed atop the abandoned wall to get his first good look at the ranch in seven years.

The walls and the buildings poking up from them all looked the same. He smiled, remembering how he would often walk toward the silhouetted shape of the ranch in the early mornings when he was younger. His smiled faded as he noticed a very faint black haze around the outside of the ranch. He cursed internally; Gannondorf had been there. Feeling that Link had stopped moving, Navi once again popped up from his pocket. "Why'd you stop, Link? Surely we're not there; we only left two hours ago…" her voice trailed off as she turned to look in the direction of the ranch. "Oh," she said simply, and Link started moving again, no longer walking, but not quite jogging. He had to get there soon.

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Ingo pulled Malon into some sort of an awkward hug as she began to cry harder. He racked his brain, trying to remember the last time he had seen the girl cry. He remembered once when she was about seven years old and trying to ride one of the horses for the first time. Talon had wandered off, probably to nap, and left her unattended as she tried to maneuver one of their old stallions, Feugo, through the corral. Ingo had looked up, noticing that she was unattended in just enough time to see Fuego rear back and buck the girl off of him. When she'd hit the ground, she'd broken her leg, but she still had enough sense about her to roll out of the way before the stallion could trample her. He pounded on the door of the house to rouse Talon before running to the corral, where he found the girl clutching the earth and sobbing uncontrollably. He brought her into the house, where Talon had finally woken up, before rushing off to Kakariko to find a doctor to come and magically heal her leg. 'Yes,' he thought with some certainty, 'that was the last time.'

After a few moments, she composed herself, pulling away from the man and wiping her face on her sleeve. "I'm sorry," she muttered softly. "I hate crying." Ingo chuckled dryly before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I need to tell you something," he said simply, and she turned her puffy red eyes up to his face.

"A long time ago, before you were even born, I made a promise to your father." Malon's attention was piqued. She didn't remember Ingo ever being at the ranch when she was very young; her earliest memory of him was when she was six years old, and it was when her father gave him his job. "You see, your mother and I, we knew each other when we were very young." Now she was really intrigued. No one ever spoke of her mother in any detail; whenever her father had it was simply to tell her how they were alike.

"We both grew up in Castleton, your mother and I. She was like you, her mother had died giving birth to her, and she only had her father. They owned a small bookstore that faced the courtyard, above where the Bombchu Bowling Alley was when you were younger. My family owned a restaurant in the back alley, but it was long since converted into someone's house." Malon was hanging on to every word he said, like a giddy child, but she knew next to nothing about her mother's childhood. "Anyway, we got to be good friends. Your father's family, the Romani's, came to our restaurant almost every time they came to the market. That was where your parents met; I introduced them. Truth be told, I had been in love with your mother for a long time, but she fell in love with your father at first sight. He was much more handsome back then."

Malon laughed; she had only ever known her father as the round, cheery man he had been in his older years; it was hard to imagine him as a handsome young man, especially one that could make a young girl fall in love at first sight. Ingo smiled too.

"I know; it's hard to believe. But they met and fell in love, and all the while I tagged along. I never did tell you mother how I had felt about her," he said, his voice tinged with regret, "but your father knew. He asked my approval every time he took her out, and sometimes he would apologize profusely for the fact that she had chosen him," he chuckled. "They got married, and soon after your mother was pregnant, but she was very sick. We knew she was going to die, but your father always kept hope that she would be able to survive the pregnancy. He was scared though," Ingo's voice grew soft. "He made me promise that if anything ever happened to him that I would keep your mother and their child, you, safe."

Malon smiled softly, silently thanking her father for asking this of Ingo. He smiled back, "So I guess I'll have to keep that promise. If you're staying, so am I." Malon hugged him again then. "Thank you," she whispered.

He squeezed her for a moment, and had a flash of memory of doing the same to her mother. He sniffed, and pushed her away gently. "Get back to work, kid," he said, a hint of a smile on his face. Malon smiled back. "I need to reorganize the crates in the silo. Can you keep an eye on the horses?" she asked. Ingo nodded, and his eyes followed her retreating figure as she headed toward the silo.

He sighed and looked up at the sky. "You owe me for this one, old friend."

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Malon sighed and wiped her brow with her sleeve. She had been anticipating Gannondorf's arrival all day. She hadn't mentioned it to Ingo, but in her heart, she was positive that he would return to the ranch and reclaim Ingo. Sitting on one of the crates, she resisted the urge to cry. "Stop it, Malon," she muttered to herself. "You're not some damsel in distress. Pull it together." She stood, grabbing the broom that was propped up against the wall and continued working.

Outside, Ingo was grooming and inspecting the horses. As much as he hated to admit it, they were in business with the dark king now, and it would be unwise to present unfit and ungroomed horses for his inspection. Looking around the corral he noted that there was only one horse left to be taken care of. He sighed, "Of course, save the worst for last." He approached the lone mare across the corral. "Epona!" he called, clicking his tongue. Malon's horse, he thought, had to be the most impossibly stubborn animal on the ranch. Malon could usually calm her by singing to her, but Ingo's singing voice would probably just make her rear back and trample him. She backed away as he approached, and he sighed again. This horse was going to make for a long afternoon.

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Link made it to the gates of the ranch in record time. He stopped just outside the massive walls to gather his courage and to adjust his knapsack to make sure that the Master Sword was easily within reach. He glanced in the direction of the old castle, and his blood ran cold. The clouds over top were swirling, and lightning was striking the ground at an impossible rate. Gannondorf was angry. Something was about to happen. He took a deep breath and said a prayer to the goddesses that everything would be alright and that Gannondorf wasn't about to take his rage out on the citizens of Kakariko as a result of him freeing the Fire Temple from his control.

He sighed, and walked into the ranch, trying to look as ordinary as possible, and dreading what he might find.

As he rounded the corner, he was surrounded by the familiar smells of the ranch: the crisp hay, the musk of the horses, and the warm, welcoming smell of freshly baked bread, something Malon put in the oven every morning so that it would be ready for supper. Link's heart swelled. Maybe if the bread was still here, that meant Malon was too. He noticed that the house looked new, and he wondered if they had simply outgrown the old one and built a new one, or if it had been destroyed in his absence. He hoped it was the former.

Looking out into the corral, he saw Ingo trying unsuccessfully to corner one of the horses, but Malon was nowhere in sight. He sighed. He saw Ingo throw his hands up in the air and turn to leave the corral. Once he was able to get a better look at the horse, he recognized who it was. "Epona!" he said, so Navi could hear him. "She's still here. Ingo is too." As Ingo headed out of the corral, he caught Link's eye and walked at a bit faster pace to greet him.

"Well hello there!" the man said, more upbeat than Link had remembered him. Overall, he looked the same, although he was a little rounder in the middle and a little balder on top. Link shook his hand. "What can I do for you?"Link smiled. "I've been travelling these fields for quite some time now; I was hoping to purchase one of your fine horses. Your reputation precedes you all throughout Hyrule." Ingo smiled a bit at that. "Well, at least one thing hasn't changed these days, I suppose. Come into the corral and I'll show you some of our horses. Where did you say you were from?"

"Zora's Grotto," Link blurted out, before really thinking, naming the small village near Lake Hylia and hoping that Ingo didn't have any family from the small town. "Ah, I see," the man replied. "How are things holding up over there?" Link merely shrugged. "I don't know. I've been traveling on my own for so long I can hardly remember." Ingo looked him up and down. "You're a little young to be a nomad, son." Link sighed and nodded. "I don't have any family left, so there's nowhere to really call home." Ingo's expression softened. "We have too many youngsters like you in these lands today."

The wind abruptly picked up, and Link and Ingo turned to face the entrance of the ranch, noticing that the ominous cloud was hovering just outside. Lightening struck near the house, and Ingo cursed under his breath. The ground shook with rumbling hoof beats, and Link was suddenly afraid. 'Did I lead him here?' he thought to himself, terrified of the answer.

Suddenly, black riders pulled in through the gates, and the clouds covered the once sunny sky. Ingo swore again and pushed Link to the ground. "Get down, boy. Don't say anything, if you know what's good for you." Link stayed down and kept his head down, praying to anyone who would listen that nothing bad would happen.

He heard some of the riders dismount, and he fought the urge to shudder as an all too familiar voice bellowed, "Where is she?"

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Malon smiled to herself, turning away from the window and going back to her chore. The silo was looking much tidier now. Perhaps she could convert it in to some sort of guest house on the ground floor and they could hire more help around the ranch. The sun bathed the small room with light, and she smiled; for the first time that day the feeling of dread had left her. Surely if Ingo didn't leave, then Gannondorf would just put him back under the spell. That had to be the worst that could happen.

Suddenly, she shivered. The room turned cold and dark. She turned back to the window and saw Ingo and another tall figure standing outside the corral as the dark skies churned up above. 'Oh no,' she thought. 'That poor boy, Gannondorf is going to kill him!' The horses whinnied in distress and began to stomp their hooves restlessly. She saw Ingo shove the other person to the ground. Her blood ran cold as she saw the black riders come into the open field; she clutched the windowsill when she saw that Gannondorf was among them. The Dark King and a couple of his guards dismounted, and one of them immediately moved to restrain Ingo and stand over the boy who was knelt on the group.

She opened the door of the silo just as he dismounted from his stallion and heard him shout in an angry voice, "Where is she?" 'She?' Malon thought, 'What does he want to do with me?' She couldn't make out what Ingo said next, but Gannondorf withdrew his arm as if to hit him. Her heart leapt in her throat, but the blow never came, as Gannondorf's eyes slowly fixated on her form. She thought she might faint.

More lightening struck, and three of his men came rushing towards her. Fear constricted her throat; she was cornered. She willed herself to breathe deeply and evenly, trying not to let her fear get the best of her. She wasn't afraid of him. She had done nothing wrong. "Hold steady, Malon," she said to herself. "At the very worst, you'll get to see Mom and Dad again."

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

Link's blood ran cold. He was looking for her? For Malon? 'Goddesses,' the thought to himself, 'please don't let this be my fault.' He kept hoping that all Gannondorf wanted was some horses, and that he always went through Malon to get them, since it was her family's ranch.

"What makes you think I'll tell you where she is?" Ingo said defiantly. Gannondorf growled like a beast, and then suddenly chuckled. "Ah, there she is. Get her." Link heard several of Gannondorf's men dismount their horses and head off away from them. A moment later, he heard their heavy footsteps return, and he risked a glance up to see her.

His heart leapt. It was her; Malon was alive! She had grown up into a beautiful young woman, but she was still very petite. Gannondorf and his men dwarfed her by far. Her hair was much longer, and it whipped in the wind, looking like fire, and he was suddenly reminded of the last day that he saw her. Her eyes were bright and defiant, and Link was struck with how beautifully her face had matured. She was practically a goddess, he thought, returning his gaze to the ground. He heard her grunt softly as Gannondorf's men pushed her to her knees.

Gannondorf smirked, kneeling in front of her. "Tell me my dear girl, how is your father doing after all of these years?" Malon seethed and resisted the urge to spit in his face. Through clenched teeth, she ground out, "I don't know. Hopefully you'll be joining him soon; you could ask him yourself then."

Gannondorf yelled in anger, reaching forward to grab a fistful of her hair and pull her into a standing position. Malon cried out in a mixture of surprise and pain, and at the sound Link dug his fist into the ground, trying to resist the urge to rush to her aid. He didn't have enough weapons to take on Gannondorf and however many of his men he had with him. If he did, he would surely die, and take all of Hyrule with him. Gannondorf threw her to the ground then, and Malon yelped in surprise as her hands made contact with the hard ground. The guards quickly pulled her back onto her knees and held her by her arms.

"Do you not value your life, girl?" Gannondorf growled. "Do you not realize that I could kill you without blinking an eye?" He smirked. "Do you think I would not kill you where you stand, like your worthless father?" Malon growled with rage and attempted to lunge at the Dark King. He laughed outright as his guards roughly pulled her back down. He pulled out his sword and traced it lazily along her cheek. "I should certainly kill you for that, but I won't, dear girl, not yet." He placed the tip of his sword on the ground and leaned his elbow against it. "You see, you have something I desire."

Malon's head snapped up. Was he talking about the horses? Seeing her surprise, Gannondorf laughed again. "That boy who used to come here, he was your friend, was he not?" Link suppressed the urge to gasp. Gannondorf was here because of him. But why? He hadn't seen Malon, so what could she possibly know about him?" Malon still starred at Gannondorf in shock. "Answer me!" he bellowed, and Malon managed to tentatively nod her head. "Good, I thought as much. When was the last time you saw him?"

Malon laughed bitterly at that. "The night you killed him." Link's heart sank. She'd lived for all of these years thinking he was dead. Gannondorf snarled, "Do not lie to me, you worthless little peasant!" He grabbed her by her hair again, yanking her to her feet once more. "Do you take me as a fool?" Malon did her best to not let her fear show through her eyes, and kept her jaw clenched tight.

Stupidly, Malon spoke again, "So, the rumors are true," she said coolly, "You failed to kill him when you had the chance? Is that why the volcano returned to normal?" Gannondorf grabbed her arm and yanked her up so that her face was even with his; her shoulder made a sickening pop and she cried out in pain. "If he is alive," he seethed, "he will come for you. I've eliminated everyone else he ever cared about, but you are the bait. When he comes, you will tell me, or I will come here and slaughter each and every animal on this goddess forsaken farm in front of you. I will burn your house to the ground." His eyes narrowed. "I will torture you in ways that you did not even know existed." He dropped her back down to the ground, and she cradled her injured shoulder. "You will give him up to me." The Dark King turned back towards his horse.

"If he was alive," Malon hissed, "he wouldn't come here." Gannondorf snapped back around. "And if he did," Malon paused as she took a gasping breath of air, "I would never, NEVER tell you where he was. I would die first." Gannondorf was shaking with rage. 'This girl!' he thought, 'This insolent little girl! I will teach her a lesson soon enough.' "You should learn when to bite your tongue, peasant." He turned to his horse again.

Malon was so blinded by her rage that she could not think clearly. "Go, then!" She yelled. "Go back to your fortress and send all of your monsters to do your bidding. Go back into hiding, you miserable coward!" Gannondorf spun around so quickly that she didn't have time to react. He backhanded her hard across the face, and a sharp crack, akin to a bolt of lightning rang through the air. Darkness engulfed her before she even hit the ground.

The guard that had been holding Ingo back threw him backwards as he attempted to move toward Malon. "Let's go," Gannondorf shouted. "Take all of the stallions and burn the house to the ground. Destroy the garden. Let's see how arrogant she is when she's starving and homeless." He saddled up on his horse and turned to leave. His men were quick to follow his orders. Link was barely on his feet by the time they were leading the stallions out of the corral. He watched with absolute horror as they grabbed the torches from the corral gates and set the house and garden ablaze.

As the black riders left the ranch, his gaze shifted to Malon. The girl was lying crumpled on the floor, unconscious and unaware that her childhood home was being burnt to the ground. Ingo was attempting to tend to her wounds. "Get her inside!" Link shouted. Thinking quickly, Link ran toward the house and to the water barrel out back. He grabbed two of the buckets and filled them quickly, running back and forth from the rain barrel to the house in an attempt to put out the blaze. From his pocket he could dimly hear Navi screaming at him, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he managed to put out the flames.

The house was ruined, and an overall felling of guilt washed over Link. This was his fault! If he had only been stronger when he had opened the Door of Time, none of this would have happened. His eyes raked over the scorched bookshelf and portraits on the wall. The furniture was still smoldering in the living area, and the dining room set had been completely reduced to ashes. The kitchen didn't fare much better. Link knew it would be impossible to go upstairs without the entire house falling apart. He suddenly became aware of the fact that there were hot tears trailing down his cheeks.

Navi flew from his pocket and did her best to wipe the tears away. "Link! Link, shh. It's alright. This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault, do you hear me? Link!" After a while, he managed to compose himself and wiped the tears and soot from his face. "I know, Navi," he managed to choke out, and he was sure the fairy could tell that she didn't believe him.

Ingo came bursting into the room. He stopped short when he saw the destruction that had occurred. Link turned to face him, and all he could manage to say was, "I'm sorry." Ingo shook his head. "Don't take responsibility for the actions of a madman." Link nodded. "I need you to do me a favor, son. That girl, Malon, she's not looking good. We need some medicine, and fast." Link's head shot up. "I have some potions," he offered, and Ingo smiled widely, leading him out of the ruined house and into the silo.

While he had been putting out the fire, the dark clouds had retreated and the sun was shining once more, but the farm was eerily silent again. Even the horses stood around quietly, as if in mourning of the loss of their companions. Once he entered the silo, he was taken aback by how small and fragile Malon seemed now; she had looked so mighty as she defied Gannondorf that it was easy to forget that she was only sixteen years old. He knelt down next to her. Ingo had laid out some straw and found a sack of corn meal to create a makeshift bed for her.

Gently, he brushed her hair out of her face, and winced at the deep purple and black bruising along her cheek. He prodded her cheekbone lightly and, sure enough, could feel that it was broken. The potions would fix the broken bone and swelling, but the bruising would have to heal on its own. He looked at her arm next, sighing at the bruised impressions of fingerprints that crossed her upper arms. He felt gently at the shoulder and realized it was dislocated. He turned to Ingo, "Do you have a strip of leather or something that she can bite on? Her shoulder is dislocated. If we don't fix it before using the potion it won't heal correctly." Ingo's eyes widened, but he quickly turned in search of something suitable.

Link turned his attention back to her face, and he studied her carefully. Her childlike round face had lengthened and the baby fat from her cheeks had disappeared. Her eyelashes fell against her cheeks, long, and a shade darker than her hair. He couldn't look away from the bruising on her cheek, and he cursed himself, knowing that if he had been able to protect her better this would have never happened. She was different from the carefree girl he had known back then. She was strong, and brave, albeit a little reckless. It warmed his heart to hear her say that she would be on his side, even if she had risked her own life. It meant that she remembered him; it meant that she cared.

"Will this work?" Ingo asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. He was holding a thick strap of leather, one that they probably used when making saddles. He nodded and took it, gently placing it between her teeth. "Don't wake up," he whispered, and then grabbed her arm and shoulder. He took a deep breath, and pushed her shoulder back into joint. Link bit his lip at the sound, and Malon suddenly gasped and cried out.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said, stroking her face gently. "Just relax," he whispered, "You're going to be fine." He turned around back to Ingo. "Will you hand me my pack?" he asked. Ingo handed it to him, looking nervously at the girl lying on the floor. Link dug around for a moment before he found one of the small vials of green potion.

"Hey," he called, trying to get her to focus on him, "I'm going to give you some medicine now. It'll help." She swallowed and nodded, still not opening her eyes. He uncorked the bottle and raised it to her lips, and she took it easily. Link sighed, and reached down to take her hand. "This is going to hurt," he whispered. Malon screamed as flashes of pain ran through her body. Link knew the side effect of these potions well. They worked wonders with healing wounds quickly, but they weren't very good at stopping the pain of the rapid healing process. After a few seconds, she calmed down but was still breathing heavily with her eyes clinched shut.

Ingo was nervously pacing behind him. "Is she going to be alright?" Link looked up at him and nodded. "The bruises will take a while to fade, but other than that she should be fine." The ranch hand nodded, and then glanced out the window. "I know it's not really my place to ask, but will you stay with her for a minute? I need to get the horses back in the stable. Link smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Once the silo door closed, Navi flew out of his pocket and into his face. "Link! What are you doing?" She whispered harshly. He wrinkled his brow in confusion. "You need to get out of here. You're only putting her in danger if she knows you're here. Didn't you hear what Gannondorf said?" Link sighed. She was right. He had already hurt her enough. "Okay, Navi," he said quietly. The fairy settled herself down into his pocket again, and Link prepared to leave. He glanced out the window, and decided that he would offer to round up the horses for Ingo and get him to come back inside. He turned back toward her. Her breathing had slowed to a normal rate, and she whimpered quietly. He reached down to stroke her cheek one more time, as if to say goodbye.

Her eyes opened, and ocean blue met sky blue. For a second, Link stood shock still, unable to look away. Finally, he managed to look down, and pulled his hand down into his lap. He reached down beside him and grabbed the knapsack he had brought along and prepared to leave. Malon's hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Link?"

.oO0-0Oo._  
_

I hope you all enjoyed it! Chapter 4 is in the works. What will happen now that Malon has recognized Link? Stay tuned. ;) -Ashes


	4. Remembered

A/N: Thank you all so, so much for all of your reviews, emails, and story alerts! I've posted a lot of stories to over the years, and none of them have gotten a response like this! You guys keep me going. Sorry it's been so long to get this chapter up; the first checkpoint of my thesis was due last month, and that took precedence over all of my free time. :) This chapter was by far the most difficult to write for me, because I was having a lot of trouble developing their relationship the way I wanted to. Once the whole story is finished I might wind up revising this chapter, but we'll see.

Warnings: Bad dreams, some violence, angst, and a smidge of child abuse.

**Innocence Lost**

**Chapter 4**

_Remembered_

.oO0Oo.

"Link?"

He froze. He could feel Navi smacking at his chest, demanding that he leave immediately. Idly, he decided that it was good that he hadn't worn a hat today, for if he had Navi probably would have pulled all of his hair out by now. He shut his eyes tight and disentangled his arm from her hand, feeling guiltier than he ever had in his life. 'She probably has a concussion,' he told himself, 'and she'll think she made you all up.' Sighing heavily, he rose to his feet and headed towards the door.

"I meant what I said!" she called behind him, her voice taking on a desperate tone. "I meant it, Link. You'll always be safe here."

His hand hovered above the doorknob, not quite grasping it yet. Knowing he would regret it later, he turned back to look at her again. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. His heart was overfilled with joy; someone _remembered _him! Someone _cared_ about what might happen to him! For a moment, he didn't feel so alone. But then his eyes took in the bruise marring her cheek and he felt foolish. He'd only get her hurt.

"You never did talk much, hmm?" she said, a sad smile playing on her lips. He faltered, his hand fell back down to his side and his eyes focused on the floor in front of him. "I never wanted to believe you were dead," she whispered, "and when I saw the volcano I just knew that you were still alive. I just knew." She stood up from her makeshift bed a bit too quickly. The after effects of Gannondorf's blow to her head caused her vision to swim wildly; blindly, she reached out to steady herself as her body swayed. Link quickly reached for her hand to steady her, but she eventually wound up toppling into his chest.

She stayed there for a moment, hands gripping his tunic and head pressed against his chest. His arms were loosely wrapped around her torso, and for a moment he debated whether or not he should push her away from him. The warmth of a pseudo-hug kept him captivated. It had been years since he'd been this close to another person, and as much as he tried to remind himself that he was the Hero and that he didn't have time for such things as friends and personal comfort, he couldn't squash the fuzzy feeling in his chest.

She was still very small; he remembered teasing her about her short stature when they were younger. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders, and her own shoulders were narrow and feminine. He could scarcely believe that this slight little girl had hours ago stood up to Gannondorf and survived. He shuddered, unintentionally wrapping his arms tighter around her, and decided that he liked hugs.

She seemed to get her bearings straight after a moment and pushed away from his slightly, looking up at his face. She smiled softly, and then disentangled herself from him. "I'm sorry," she whispered as her gaze shifted to the floor. "It's just been so hard, without Papa. I feel alone." Her gaze shifted to the window, where she could see Ingo unsuccessfully trying to get Epona into the stable. "Sometimes I think I don't have anything to lose. I wish I could run away. But then, if I did, there wouldn't be anyone to care for the horses." Link stiffened, remembering Gannondorf's men leading more than half of the horses out of the corral before setting her home ablaze while she lay unconscious in the field.

"I want to leave, so I can fight him. I want to kill him. I wish I was strong, like you. I can shoot a bow and arrow but that wouldn't do me any good." Link was slightly taken aback. This was not the Malon he remembered. But what else could he expect? Gannondorf had laid ruin to her life, and the lives of so many others; she had the right to be vengeful.

"You'll only get yourself killed," he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. Her head snapped up, as if surprised by the deepness of his voice, and a slight blush covered her unmarred cheek. "I know," she whispered. "I know I would, but sometimes I think that it wouldn't be so bad. Papa'd be there, at least." Her eyes were misty as she looked out the window once again. Link couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Don't talk like that!" he said, much louder than he intended to. "Please," he half whispered, "too many people have died already." Not for the first time, he felt the weight of the world come crashing back down on his shoulders. 'Too many people have died because of _you_,' the nagging voice in his head shouted. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his negative thoughts away and met Malon's eyes again. Her face had softened, and she looked much too sad and worn for her young age.

She sighed and nodded at him. "I know. I try hard not to, and most days I just focus on my chores and try to forget. Some days are worse than others though." A muffled string of curses drifted in through the window, and Malon sighed. "Ingo can't know who you are," she whispered, and Link looked up, confused. "For the past seven years he's been under Gannondorf's control. I thought Gannondorf would put the spell on him again before he left, but Ingo isn't acting like he normally does when he's possessed." Link's brow furrowed. "Why would Gannondorf waste his time with someone like Ingo?"

Malon looked up at him sadly, and Link realized that in her eyes she looked much older than her sixteen years. "Because he was weak. Gannondorf offered him power, and Ingo took it. My father refused, but that didn't get him very far in the end." A few tears worked their way out of her eyes, and she angrily brushed them away. "I don't know how much information Gannondorf gets from Ingo when he's possessed, and I don't know if he'll come back to put Ingo under his control again. He can't know who you are. He didn't recognize you, did he?"

Link shook his head. "He didn't seem to." Curiosity piqued at him and he asked, "How did you know?" She offered him a half smile then. "Your eyes are the same," she said simply before looking out the window once again. "I'd better go and help him. He'll never get that horse to stable by himself." She brushed passed him, and her hand was on the doorknob when he remembered that she had no idea that her home had been burnt down and a good chunk of her livelihood stolen. "Malon, wait!" he called, but it was too late. The deceptively bright sunlight ran into the room, silhouetting her figure as she stepped outside.

She froze, barely one step out of the doorway, her eyes fixated on the smoldering shell of her childhood home. Link followed after her, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. Her face and eyes were completely blank, and she sighed heavily. "This is my fault," she whispered. Link shook his head. "No, it's not," he said quietly. "You're just the bait, remember?" She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head. "It's not because of you. He burned the house when Papa stood up to him, too. He's trying to put us back in our place, is all. He thinks we're stupid, mindless peasants." Link stared at her. "He did this before?" She nodded. "If we could come back from it then, we can come back from it now," she whispered. "I'll have to head to Kakariko to sell some of our horses to pay for it, though."

Link winced. He knew that the ranch typically only sold the stallions and that they kept the mares as workhorses and for breeding. "He took the stallions, Mal," he said, and the girl beside him practically deflated. "He – he did?" she whispered, her voice shaking. Link nodded sadly and turned her to look at him directly. The tears in her eyes were threatening to spill over and she began to look completely panicked. "What will we do?" she gasped. "How are we going to buy food and take care of the horses? How are we supposed to survive?" She was crying now, sobs racking her slender frame and breaths coming in gasps.

Link didn't know what to do; he had never seen her cry like this before. He pulled her close into an awkward hug, silently apologizing to Navi who was either getting smashed or doused with tears. His hands rubbed at her back gently, trying to soothe her and stop her crying. After a few moments, she appeared to have calmed herself significantly, but the tears still flowed freely. She backed away from him slightly, her hand covering her mouth as she sniffled and tried to control herself.

He cupped her unblemished cheek and brushed her tears with him thumb. Leaning down so that they were eye level, he tried to get her to focus on him. "Mal, look at me." She finally did, and Link sighed gently. "I'll help you; I promise. I'm always finding rupees in the te- in the places I have to go. It's more than I could ever use." She had quieted a bit and shook her head. "I couldn't let you do that, Link." He looked her straight in the eye and whispered, "Please." She shook her head again. "You're supposed to be saving the world, Link, not a ranch." With that, she walked off toward Ingo and Epona.

'Stubborn girl,' Link sighed. Maybe she wouldn't take his money, but she certainly wouldn't be able to refuse his hard labor. Sheik had told him that he had some time before he needed to head to the lake, and he knew just how to spend it. Sensing that Malon was gone, Navi poked her head out from his pocket. "Are you insane?" she hissed shrilly. "Not only are you putting them in danger, but yourself as well." Link sighed, "Navi, it's going to be fine. I stood right in front of Gannondorf and he didn't realize it was me."

"That was luck!" she shouted. "You can't keep being this careless, Link. Don't you understand what will happen if you fail? If Gannondorf finds you before you've weakened him enough?" Link sighed heavily. "You're risking everything by coming here and helping her. We have to leave. Now!"

"No, Navi," he said quietly. "I need allies. I need friends. I can't do this by myself."

.oO0Oo.

A few hours later, the sun had begun to set, and Link had to force himself to stop drifting into childhood memories about Malon. He was inside the burned shell of the farmhouse, trying to salvage anything that he could and clearing out everything that had been destroyed. Malon had tried to talk him out of it several times, insisting that he should be out completing his quest instead of cleaning up her mess. She was in a strange mood, at least from what he remembered of her. He could understand that she was hurting; to be honest he would have been concerned if she was acting like she was completely fine. But, he had never seen her reject help from anyone, much less him. He knew that her pride was getting in the way, and he idly remembered her father being the same way, but she had always loved when people visited and offered to work for a while to lower the price of their steed. More importantly, she had always liked when _he_ had come to visit, offering to help her with her chores.

He wasn't sure if she would ever be the same, even when this was all over. She'd lost too much, and she was in danger of losing so much more. He sighed. Navi had spent the entire afternoon huddled away in his pocket, snapping at him irritably when he did anything to disturb her. Sometimes he despised how chatty she could be, but today he wished she would just _talk_ instead of being so angry at him. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was just putting her in danger. Even if Gannondorf didn't come after her, he knew that he could still fail this quest. If he lost, if he _died_ then he was sure it would crush her. He groaned, rubbing his temple, and regretted staying. Maybe he didn't need friends; maybe he was supposed to be alone. He made up his mind. Once he left after this week, or sooner if he could manage, he wouldn't come back until this was all over.

The door creaked quietly and Malon poked her head in. He forced a smile, certain that she could tell it was fake. After getting the horses back into the stable and sobbing her eyes out at the loss of the stallions, she'd spent the afternoon trying to make the silo into a makeshift home. Her eyes were rimmed red, and he knew she'd cried more than once while working on her task. That thought was upsetting to him; Malon had never been one to cry, and she was never one to be the damsel in distress. He hated seeing his childhood friend like this, even more than the fact that he hated how this was his fault.

"Supper's ready," she whispered, and Link smiled at her. He gestured to a storage trunk that he'd moved close to the door. "I found some linens and pillows in that trunk," her face brightened a bit, "I thought you might be able to use them." She smiled slightly and reached her hand out to him. "Come on," she beckoned, "you must be starving." He smiled back, reaching forward to take her hand. He was startled when she made no move to leave the doorway, instead squeezing his hand and looking intently at his face.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said quietly, and Link shook his head, indicating that no apology was necessary. She sighed, surveying the damage of the room in front of her, before speaking again. "I don't mean to be so prideful, and it really isn't that I don't want your help. You were always so helpful when we were kids; Papa loved you." She paused for a moment, studying his face once again. "You're important."

He blinked, confused by her statement. Her hand squeezed his gently, reminding him that they were still touching. "You are," she whispered. "You have to be. Otherwise Gannondorf wouldn't be so beside himself about not being able to find you. Otherwise you really would have died all those years ago, and you wouldn't always be running around on your adventures. You're the one we've all been waiting for, aren't you?" He broke her gaze, wondering how to answer that question without giving anything away. Sheik had been very specific, demanding that no one, no matter how closely he trusted them, know what his true role was. Sensing his distress, she squeezed his hand again. "You don't have to answer. I know what it would mean if you did."

She turned then, pulling his arm gently and leading him out of the house. He followed her into the dimming light, mulling over her words. She knew who he was, that much was obvious, but he appreciated that she didn't press him for information. Maybe she understood just how much danger she would be in if she actually knew what he was doing. Gannondorf had many powerful people under his control. He could get his hands on some sort of truth serum, and if he did, all of his secrets would spill out of her mouth before she could even hope to react. As they approached the silo, she let go of his hand, mindful of Ingo's proximity. "Thank you," he murmured, and she simply smiled. "Promise me something?" she asked, and he nodded, regarding her curiously. "If you ever need a place to stay, or if you're hurt," her face seemed to crumple a bit at that, "that you'll come here? If you want, or if you need it, I'll take care of you. I promise."

He smiled slightly at her, but shook his head. "I won't promise that," he said, and she visibly deflated. "I can't promise that because I can't plan on coming back here." He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze, and then smiled. "Just in case." She managed to smile back, although it didn't reach her eyes, and nodded her understanding.

"Malon! Mido! There you are!" Ingo called, poking his head out of the silo door. Internally, Link winced, wishing he had been cleverer when Ingo had asked him for his name. Hopefully there were Hylians named Mido somewhere and he hadn't risked identifying himself by using a Kokiri name. "Come, come! I'm starving! We must sit down to eat!" Malon smiled at his enthusiasm. She had missed this Ingo. It was the Ingo from when she was a little girl, before he had lost his way and became bitter. Link noticed the smile, and was glad to see that it was genuine, before following her into the building.

.oO0Oo.

He'd only stayed that one night. Navi had insisted that, even though Sheik had told him he could take a week off, there was little time to delay. He spent the morning helping Malon and Ingo load the cart so the other man could leave to make deliveries around the kingdom. The older man had left shortly after sunrise, and Malon and Link had moved inside the stable to tend to the horses. The silence between them was cold and uncomfortable; she must have known he was planning to leave.

"You don't sing anymore," he observed, moving in front of a russet mare with a blond mane and tail, stroking the animal's snout to calm her before proceeding into the stall. Behind him, he heard Malon sigh, and then she whispered, "I guess there hasn't been much reason to lately." He groaned inwardly, feeling another wave of guilt wash over him. For a moment, he wished he'd never come to the ranch to see her. It was easier to squash his guilt when he hadn't seen how badly his actions were affecting people he cared about. He busied himself with grooming the horse in front of him, trying for the thousandth time to believe that he wasn't the one to blame.

A bucket clattered to the ground behind him, and Malon shouted, "What are you _doing_!" Link turned suddenly, taking in her shocked expression. "Uhm," he stammered, completely confused. She rushed towards him, staring at the horse, then at Link, then back to the horse. She swallowed, reaching forward to stroke the mare's snout gently before looking back up at him. "She's never trusted anyone but me. Ever since she was little, she's been afraid of other people." Link nodded, smiling slightly at her. "Jealous?" he asked, and she laughed outright, "Oh, of course." Her expression sobered, and she took a deep breath before speaking again.

"You should take her with you," she said softly. "You're leaving today, aren't you?" Link stared at the ground, unable to look at her. How did she always know what he was thinking and planning? She'd always been able to tell when they were younger, too. "I'll pay you for her," he offered, but she shook her head, smiling softly. "Just take good care of her," she said, and he returned her smile.

A few hours later, he had gathered his belongings and was busy saddling Epona. Malon had disappeared into the silo, saying something about wrapping up some food for him to take. He smiled to himself. 'Maybe when all of this is over you can come back here,' he thought. 'We could take care of each other, and then maybe everything would be okay.' The image of Malon with Gannondorf's sword protruding from her chest and the King of Evil's maniacal laughter from his dream popped into his head, unbidden. He gasped, his vision blurring, and reached forward to steady himself against Epona. That was what the dream had meant, wasn't it? That if he came here, Gannondorf would kill her to get to him. 'No,' he thought to himself, desperate to find some sort of calm, 'no, that's not it. You have to protect her. You _will_ protect her.' He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the image away, before taking a deep breath and pushing himself away from Epona and regaining his composure.

"Link? Are you alright?" He opened his eyes to focus on her and managed to force a smile. "Yes," he murmured, "just got lost in my thoughts for a moment." She smiled, but he could tell it wasn't genuine. She handed him a small cloth sack, presumably filled with food, before looking anywhere other than at him.

"Will you be alright?" he asked, concerned for her safety in his absence. She nodded, gazing at the door of the farmhouse. "Yes, of course." She smiled, still avoiding looking at him. "Ingo plans to bring back some help from Kakariko, so the house will be fixed up in no time. Luckily, most of our food had already been harvested and stored in the silo, so I don't think we'll starve. A couple of the mares are pregnant; if we're lucky they'll bear stallions and we can recover. If not I guess I'll have to go to Gerudo Valley and get some new ones."

Link sighed. "That's not what I meant," he said, coming closer to her. He reached forward and cupped her cheek, turning her face up to meet his. "I know," she whispered, smiling sadly. "Please be careful." Link nodded, trying to ignore the unshed tears in her eyes, when he was overcome with the desire to kiss her. 'No,' he mentally chided himself. 'If Gannondorf ever found out he would kill her, just to get to you. No, no, no.' Instead, he pulled her forward into a tight embrace, squeezing her tightly as she tucked her head under his chin. He felt the dampness of a few tears against his tunic, but did his best to ignore them.

"You be careful, too," he whispered. They separated, and he mounted Epona and headed out into the field without a single glance behind him.

.oO0Oo.

The rest of the day was uneventful for Malon. She finished taking care of the animals and got the fields ready for the next round of crops. Fall was fast approaching, but she was hopeful that the cold snap of winter would hold off long enough for them to get one last harvest in for the year. She'd fixed up the silo quite nicely, fashioning a few mattresses out of knapsacks she had sewn together and stuffing them with cornmeal. They wouldn't last long, she knew, but she was optimistic that Ingo would bring back help from Kakariko to aid in rebuilding their home. Her family had always been well liked in the town, but she knew that times were tough and many people were not a generous as they once were.

The sun was setting by the time she'd returned all of the horses to the stables and fed the cows and cuccos. With her chores completed for the day, she sighed heavily. She'd managed to distract herself from Link's departure by keeping busy, but now that her work was done, the ranch felt oppressive and lonely. She wished that her mother's bookshelf hadn't been burned the first time Gannondorf set their home on fire. One quiet afternoons like this, she loved to go and find one of her mother's favorite books and read, taking comfort in the idea that her mother had stared at those same pages once before.

She climbed up into the hay loft, and after digging around for a bit, retrieved a small metal box. She opened it, pulling out an intensely faded photograph. She smiled at the two faces that looked up at her. Her father, who was trimmer that he'd ever been that she could remember, was clean-shaven and bright eyed, with his arms wrapped around a young woman. Malon's mother was beautiful; her father used to say that her beauty rivaled the late Queen Larissa of Hyrule. She had long, straight red hair and elegantly shaped green eyes. The thing that always captivated Malon about her mother was her smile; it was warm and inviting, and Malon used to dream about her mother calling her into the farmhouse for dinner, a wide smile across her features.

She fingered the photo, smiling softly. Photographs were expensive and hard to come by, and as far as she knew, this was the only picture of her parents together in existence. She'd saved it after the first fire, locking it away in the box with the hope that the metal would protect it. Now, after seeing Gannondorf's true colors once again, she couldn't help but feel grateful that she'd saved the trinket.

She sighed, reclining in the hay loft and thinking of Link as he headed out once again on his great and noble quest.

As much as she felt like losing hope, especially on lonely nights like this, she resolved to keep hope for him.

"I believe in you, Link," she whispered to the stars. "You will win."

.oO0Oo.

Much shorter than I wanted it to be, but I promised an update! Chapter 5 is in the works and is about halfway done; I just finally decided that this was as decent of a stopping point as I was going to get to. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers!

Please leave a review; they make me happy!


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